Coal conveyor belt dismantling

22 January 2021

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A Demag CC 3800-1 lattice-boom crawler crane from Vernazza Autogru’s fleet, was used to dismantle the enclosed coal conveyor belt at the decommissioned Vado Ligure power plant in Italy.

Due to the cramped conditions at the job site, the suitable set-up spaces for the project were located 70m away from the load, making the use of solely telescopic cranes for the lifts of the heavy conveyor belt sections impossible. For this reason, apart from all terrain cranes, the company deployed its 650t lattice boom crawler crane, which was transported to the jobsite using 25 trucks.

Due to the limited space available, the crane components and equipment were transported to the site in the order in which they were needed to assemble the crane. “Our five assembly technicians had to set up the crane with a 72m-long main boom, but they had an area of just 50m available to do so,”said Giulia Vernazza of Vernazza Autogru.

To achieve this, the final sections of the boom had to be assembled at height, using platforms made of concrete blocks and azobé wooden beams which were erected specifically for this purpose. For both the setup and lifting operations, Vernazza Autogru used a Liebherr LR 1400/2 lattice boom crawler as well as its Demag AC 140, AC 160 and AC 800 all terrain cranes as assist cranes.

The crane was set up in SSL configuration and then in SWSL configuration and with a counterweight of 300. The crane was used to pick up 60m-long sections of the enclosed conveyor belt, each of which had a diameter of 4.5m and weighed 2.5t per metre, lift them off their support structures, swing them to the side to be divided into sections of 20m each, and set them down on low-bed trailers.

The lifts were performed at a height of 35m, with a working radius of 70m and in tandem with the assist cranes.

As the field of view was very limited, careful planning—including spotters with radio contact—was necessary. The CC 3800-1 remained on site for 20 days and the job was completed on schedule.